Supporting structure for ceiling construction



May l, 1934. H. E. MARKS Er Al.

SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR CEILING CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 7, 1931INVENTOR ummm MMM WITNESSES ANJ- bS M Patented May 1, 1934 NEED STATESSUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR CEILNG CONSTRUCTION Herbert E. Marks,Sewickley,

Jarvis, Pittsburgh, Pa mesne assignments, Sewickley, Pa.

Application February '7 6 Claims.

Our invention pertains to supporting structures for receiving plaster orother cementitious material, especially in ceiling construction, andrelates especially to supporting structures of that character whichinclude base units which are assembled together in association with thebeams or the like of the building, and to which the plaster is applied.

An important object of our present invention is to provide a supportingstructure of the character mentioned, which, while economical toproduce, will be exceptionally easy in respect to the proper placing ofthe base units and the securing of the latter to the beams or the likeof the ceiling.

We have shown, by way of example, in the accompanying drawing, anddescribed in the following specification, one form of supportingstructure constructed in accordance with our invention, the sameincluding base units of the character which form the subject of thecopending application of Walter D. Jarvis, Serial No. 458,068, led May31, 1930, and also supporting elements for attaching the base units inplace and aiding in the proper placement of adjoining units. It is to beunderstood, however, that base units of other constructions may beemployed in our structure, and that changes may be made in the detailsof the supporting elements, without exceeding the scope of ourinvention, as dened in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an inverted plan of a supporting structure constructed inaccordance with our invention and shown as applied to the under sides ofthe beams of a building in the construction of a ceiling;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line II-II of Fig. l, looking inthe direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line III- III of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing, in full linesy one of thesupporting elements as supplied for use, that is, before the partsthereof have been bent to attach the supporting element to a beam and toattach a base unit to the supporting element. The gure shows, in dottedlines, adjoining supporting elements, and also the manner of bendingover portions of the supporting elements to connect the latter with abeam.

The supporting structure of our invention comprises a plurality of baseunits and a plurality of supporting elements for attaching the baseunits to the beams or the like of the building. We have found that thepaper lath disclosed in the above named copending application of WalterD. Jarvis is highly effective for the required purposes, and, for thatreason, have chosen it for reference herein. Such lath comprises a paperbacking sheet 10 which is bent to form a series and Walter D. assignors,by direct and to Mary Haines Marks,

, 1931, Serial No. 514,149

of V-shaped corrugations 1l which extend lengthwise of the unit and,besides other advantages, have the effect of stiiening the latter. Incertain of the corrugations (in the example shown, in every other one)is secured a V-shaped stiftening member 12. Stiiening members occupy thetwo outermost corrugations in the backing sheet and the latter extendsslightly beyond such outermost corrugations so as to form marginalportions 10a adapted to be lapped one over the other when the base unitsare assembled side by side, thereby to produce an uninterrupted backingfor the whole structure.

Each of the supporting units comprises a relatively long and narrowplate 13 having portions cut out therefrom and bent up to formsharpended prongs 14 which are spaced apart by a distance substantiallyequal to that which separates the stiiening members 12 of the base unit.Fastened to the plate 13, as by spot welding, are a plurality oftransverse strips 15 which are materially longer than the width oi thebeams (indicated at b) likely to be encountered in constructing aceiling. One end of each of these strips is bent to form a hook,indicated at 15a, adapted to embrace an edge oi' the flange of a beam.The other ends of the strips are adapted to be bent over, as indicatedby dotted lines in Fig. 4, so as to embrace the other edge of the beamflange; so that when the plate 13 is applied longitudinally to the underside of a beam with the hooks 15uJ embracing one edge of the ange of thelatter, and all of the other ends of the strips l are bent around theopposite edge of the beam ange by a suitable tool, the plate becomessecurely attached to the beam, with all of the prongs 14 pointingdirectly downward.

The plate 13 is formed, at one end, with a spacing elongation 13a. Thiselongation is of such length that when it is engaged by the end of thenext succeeding supporting element the prongs 14 of the two adjoiningelements will be separated by a distance substantially equal to theshort distance which separates the adjacent stiffening members 12 of thetwo base units when the latter are lapped upon each other as indicatedin Figs. l and 2. In use, the prongs 14 are pushed through the backingsheet of a given base unit (see dotted lines Fig. 3) and are then bentover so as to engage upon the tops of the stiffening members 12, therebyclamping the base unit securely against the supporting element, with thestiilening members of the base unit extending transversely of thesupporting element and therefore of the beam to which the latter isattached.

In the use of our improved structure, a supporting element 13 is placedalong the center of a beam, beneath the latter, with its hooks aembracing one edge of the flange, and the flat ends of its severalstrips 15 are then bent around the v ceeding cheapness.

opposite flange of the beam by the help of a suitable tool. By thismeans the supporting element becomes securely xed to the beam. Anothersupporting element is then likewise aiixed to the beam, with its endabutting againstJ the spacing elongation 13a of the element previouslyaffixed. This procedure is followed until a succession of the supportingelements 13 are attached to the entire length of the under side of thebeam. Other supporting elements are similarly attached to the remainderof the beams for the ceiling.

With the supporting elements attached as above stated, the operator,holding a base unit so that it extends transversely of the beams,presses such base unit upward in such a position that the prongs 14 ofone of the supporting elements pierces and passes through the backing 1Gclose beside the stii'lening members 12. As the supporting elements willbe in line with one another on successive beams, this pressing upward ofthe base unit will cause the prongs of several supporting elements topierce the backing at the required points. The prongs li are then bentover so as to engage upon the stiiiening members of the unit (Figs. 2and 3), and thus the base unit is securely aixed to the beams, throughthe intermediary of the prongs le and the plates 13. Ifit is desired tocontinue placing the base units in a longitudinal line until a row iscompleted, another base unit is then attached in the same manner as thefirst, with its end overlapping the end of the one first fixed in place.When the space occupied by the base units is to be extended laterally,the marginal portion loa of a fresh unit is lapped upon thecorresponding -portion of a unit already in place, then the fresh unitis pushed up so as to be pierced by the prongs 14 as before. As to this,it will be noted that the longitudinal spacing of the supportingelements, by means of their spacing elongations 13a. insures that whenthe fresh unit is put in place the prongs 14 will be in the rightposition to be bent over and engage the stiifening members.

The supporting structure of our invention may be put in place for usevery rapidly, and at the same time, with the greatest accuracy. All thatis necessary is for the workman to apply the supporting elements to thebeams, which can be done very quickly and easily, and then simply pushthe base units upward and bend over the prongs. The location of theprongs enforces the correct placement and alignment oi the base units.The total work can be very speedily performed, and when it is done thesupporting structure for the plaster is held firmly and safely againstthe beams. The supporting structure is very economical of manufacture,both as to the base units and the supporting elements, which latter, inparticular, can be produced with ex- The structure is of particularusefulness in ceiling construction, in which connection it has beenparticularly described but is of use also in wall construction and othersimilar connections.

What we claim is:

l. In a supporting structure for attachment to beams or the like, thecombination with a base unit including a backing sheet and spacedstiftening members extending longitudinally thereof, of a supportingelement having means permanently aixed thereto for securing the same toa beam so as to extend longitudinally thereof and havinga plurality ofprongs adapted to be passed through said backing sheet and bent oversaid stiieningmembers, said prongs being spaced on said element tocorrespond with the spacing of said stiiening members.

2. In a supporting structure for attachment to beams or the like, thecombination with a base unit including a backing sheet and spacedstiftening members extending longitudinally thereof, of a supportingelement having portions permanently ailixed thereto adapted to be bentaround a beam when the element is applied lengthwise of the latter andhaving a plurality of prongs adapted to be passed through said backingsheet and bent over said stiiening members, said prongs being spaced onsaid element to correspond with the spacing of said stiffening members.

3. In a supporting structure for attachment to beams or the like, thecombination of a base unit including a backing sheet and stiiieningmeans applied thereto, of a supporting element having portionspermanently aiixed thereto adapted 'to be bent around a beam when theelement is applied lengthwise of' the latter and having an integralprong adapted to be passed through said backing sheet and bent over saidstiffening means.

4. In a supporting structure for attachment to beams or the like, thecombination with a base unit including a backing sheet and spacedstiffening members applied longitudinally thereto so as to provide amargin for the overlapping of adjoining units, of a supporting elementhaving means for securing the same to a beam so as to extendlongitudinally thereof and having a plurality of prongs adapted to bepassed through said backing sheet and bent over said stiflening members,said prongs being spaced on said element to correspond with the spacingof said stiffening members, and said' supporting element having aspacing elongation for engagement by another element to position suchother element with respect to a base unit overlapping said base unit.

5. In a supporting structure for attachment to beams or the like, thecombination with a base unit including a backing sheet and spacedstiffening members applied longitudinally thereto so as to provide amargin for the overlapping of adjoininf7 units, of a supporting elementhaving portions adapted to be bent around a beam when the element isapplied lengthwise of the latter and having a plurality of prongsadapted to be passed through said backing sheet and bent over saidstiffening members, said prongs being spaced on said element tocorrespond with the spacing of said stiiening members, and saidsupporting element having a spacing elongation for engagement by anotherelement to position such other element with respect to a base unitoverlapping said base unit.

6. An element for applying to beams or the like a supporting structureincluding a base unit having a backing sheet and stiiening means appliedthereto, said element comprising an elongate member adapted to extendlengthwise of a beam, and having portions thereof cut therefrom and bentto form prongs for being passed through the backing sheet and bent overthe stiflening means of a base unit, and transverse members integralwith said elongate member and formed with hooks for embracing the edgeof a beam and vdth extended portions for bending around the oppositeedge of the beam.

HERBERT E. MARKS. WALTER D. JARVIS.

